Microsofts Surface intensifies competition: LG call it quits

LG is the first Android tablet maker to exit the market after the announced entrance of Microsoft.

Prior to the news, LG was looking at options for re-vitalizing their efforts in the tablet world. However, Microsoft might have been a game-changer.

The problem with the tablets market is that very few brands have been successful so far. A number of so called iPad killers have made an appearance only to fall into the very, very long shadow cast by Apple.

Samsung has been the most successful Android based tablet brand. The gap is still, however, huge. Apple, in the first quarter of 2012, sold well over 11 million iPads. Samsung was in second place with just over 1 million tablets.

Back to LG

“We’ve decided to put all new tablet development on the back burner for the time being in order to focus on smartphones,” said Ken Hong, a spokesman for Seoul-based LG quoted in Bloomberg.

According to the company, the Surface is not considered an immediate competitor. However, the timing of the announcement – just after the Microsoft Surface has been revealed - has caused analysts to connect the dots between the two events.

In an increasingly intense market so dominated by Apple, and with Samsung trying to pick up speed, Microsoft might be bad news for the smaller vendors. Microsoft's tablet, The Surface, has been met with careful optimism. If they can leverage this and successfully launch their tablet/laptop hybrid, then a third strong brand in the tablet scene will appear as a game changer.